Volunteering at Chilton Memorial Hospital provides an individual with an opportunity to help others and make new friends and allows you to share your "life experiences". According to Dot Hyde, Director of Volunteer Services at Chilton, "this may be the most important skill of all because it's unique to you. Whether you're a teenager, a senior citizen, or someone in between, life has provided you with experience and knowledge to share".

Volunteers can be found in practically every area of Chilton every day of the week. They can assist in patient or non-patient care areas, including the Chilton Cancer Center, the Comprehensive Breast Center, and the hospital's Gift Gallery. After an initial interview, prospective volunteers have their choice of assignments and participate in on-the-job training.

"Chilton Memorial volunteers witness first-hand the compassion and care for which the hospital is known and are given the opportunity to become part of a team which strives for excellence in service to patients and the community," Mrs. Hyde said.

For every four hours worked in a day, volunteers receive a complimentary meal in the cafeteria. For every two hours, they are treated to a coffee break. Each year during National Volunteer Week, the department holds a special celebration and dinner to award pins for hours worked by volunteers. The hours are cumulative and at the 2001 awards ceremony, pins were awarded to volunteers who worked 500 hours all the way up to one individual who has donated 20,000 hours of time over the course of 25 years.

For more information on volunteering at Chilton Memorial Hospital, please call 973-831-5016 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or e-mail dorothy_hyde@chiltonmemorial.org.